Page 29 of Accidental Fiancé

“We’ll have to rent you a car since you’ll be taking Piper to Etta’s.” He must have noticed my expression because he quickly added, “If you don’t mind.”

I shrugged. “I’ll kind of be nannying for her, right? While we get to know each other, I mean.”

His mouth tightened. “If you’re okay with it, yes.”

“Then, sure. I don’t want to cart her around in something you’re not comfortable with.”

Jules paused, smiling slightly. “Sorry, I assumed you’d be alright with taking care of Piper. Not everyone is a kid person, and I shouldn’t have assumed that.”

“Not a big deal.”

“It is a big deal. But I appreciate that you’re giving me some leeway on it. I’ll try not to assume things like that going forward.”

“It’s going to be an adjustment for all of us. We’re both bound to say and do some out-of-pocket things, right?”

He nodded. “Agreed. After we eat we’ll stop by a rental place and get a safer car squared away.”

“More shopping?” I whined.

“Is picking out a car really that much of a burden?”

“Stop having a good point.”

It was after dark by the time I followed him in my rental car to his house. Even still, I could see how beautiful his home was. I parked and stared up, muttering to myself, “A mansion. Of course.”

I shouldn’t have been surprised, but the place was huge, especially for only two people. The building was three stories of white brick surrounded by sharply manicured foliage. Even the front walkway was white brick, illuminated by subtle lighting. Everything was neat and tidy, and as much as I appreciated the look, it somehow made me feel out of place. Like I’d come in and mess everything up.

Jules stood at my door with a questioning smile on his handsome face, and suddenly, I wanted to go inside with him. He asked, “Do you like the car so much that you’re going to sleep in it?”

I rolled my eyes and got out. “No, smart ass. I’m coming in.”

“Good. I can’t wait for you to meet Piper.”

“Me too.”

He drove into the four-car garage and emerged with a trolley to transport the bags from our shopping trip. As we loaded it up, he said, “Grocery day is easier when you have a trolley.”

“How much food are you buying that you need a trolley? There’s only two of you.”

“It comes in handy when my cousin comes to visit or when I’m hosting friends or clients, having a party, that kind of stuff. Ready?”

“Sure.”

The truth was, I was nervous. What if Piper didn’t like me? What if all of this went wrong before we even got to Yaya’s birthday party? When the reunion came up, I believed Nora would be by my side, weathering it with me. With her by my side, I could handle anything.

She wouldn’t be by my side these next three weeks.

Wait. Last night, I handled it. Sure, Julian came along and helped—a lot—but I was handling Chloe just fine. I can handle this, too. A four-year-old can’t be any worse than a pack of adult mean girls, right?

“Worried?” Julian asked as we wrangled the trolley to the side door. Tightly packed rose bushes lined the side walkway, illuminated by solar lights. No one was getting through those bushes without losing skin.

“Hmm?”

“You’re drumming your nails on the trolley, Maggie.”

I chuckled at myself and stretched my fingers out. “Sorry.”

He stopped the trolley, the hanging bags swinging silently back and forth for a moment. “It’s okay to be nervous about all of this. I am too. But I’m here for you. If this is too much, just tell me.”

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